Val allowed his eyes to observe carefully, trailing down his every feature as though imprinting it in his memory.
Green eyes, chiselled chin, short spiky hair, aggressive brows, tall... or maybe average (he couldn't tell) but within that range... Dressed in a foreign attire that was tailored in a royal style, gloves covering his hands.
Cocky attitude, relentless ego, loyal subjects...
He resembled a lord.
... A wicked lord.
But what did he want from him?
"Who bruised him?" Haynes questioned. His green eyes remained on the boy, observing his every feature as he took Val's chin into his hands, trailing careful gazes on his face like a purchaser checking a product.
The room grew quieter by every passing second. His question remained unanswered because all of them except the girls were guilty as charged.
"Hmm... I expect answers when I ask a question". The Marquis's expression dimmed instantly, causing his lackeys to tremble as they passed glances amongst themselves, waiting for each other to speak.
Then one of the ladies mustered up the courage.
"M-m-m-marquis, i-it was Leech!" She singled out someone, taking her head down instantly after pointing a finger.
Leech was the one who suggested after they had brutally beaten Val that they'd better taken him to Haynes or he wouldn't be too pleased by his state.
"W-what?" Leech defended. "Th- that's not true Marquis, I-I didn't..."
Before he could complete his words, they all jumped on it, pinning everything on leech.
"She's right, Marquis, it was all leech!" One said.
"Yeah, we couldn't stop him!" Another added, backing up the accusation.
They all spoke at once, not even giving space for their words to settle. It became a careless noise around the room, causing Haynes to press his teeth together in annoyance.
"Shut it!" He clicked his tongue and they all went silent. Still holding onto Val's chin, his eyes stayed on the weak boy.
"My orders were very simple. Find the slave, and bring him spotless...". The irritation he felt was beginning to surface as he released the boy's chin, rising slowly with a straight face.
That amused expression he once had was completely replaced with a cold emotionless glare.
In calm steps, he strolled towards the table and picked up a light piece of cloth (handkerchief), wiping his gloves – the hands he held Val with.
"... Yet you bluntly brought damaged goods, doing exactly as you pleased". Haynes eyes remained on the gloves he continued to wipe, directing his words on his servants.
Damaged goods?
"... He was the prettiest one amongst the others, Galifian would've been pleased".
Why were they treating him like an object instead of a person?
Val felt the urge to speak up. He wanted to correct them. But a certain tiredness from the depths of his soul engulfed him. He was too tired... Tired of always defending himself.
Even though he were to speak up, seeing how egoistic the man in front of him was, it was highly possible that his words would most likely piss him off.
Pissing off someone stronger in his weak state wouldn't be a wise thing to do anyway. And being that Val himself was an observant fellow, he would never fight someone he hadn't weighed.
He never underestimates his opponent.
Remembering how he couldn't even manage to out power Haynes's lackeys and these people feared Haynes, it only meant that Haynes was way stronger.
"M-marquis, we are sorry a-about this". Leech stuttered. "We only hit him because he kept resisting".
Haynes scoffed. "Sorry?
His next words came out in a mumble, eyes still on his gloves as Val watched.
There was something odd about him now...
"... I really hate that word". His voice quivered upon mouthing those words, causing Val to furrow.
"How exactly can this "damaged goods" and your "sorry" please Galifian enough to pitch me with the right tone?"
Something about his demeanor began to shift, sending goosebumps throughout Val's skin. The chills he felt before crept back instantly.
"Sorry...". He mumbled. "I'm no longer in need of incompetent subjects".
Slowly, Haynes's eyes which were once the color of green began changing into another color right in front of everyone. Something along the lines of violet.
He lifted both orbs gradually from his hands, trailing them to his subjects behind Val, before exposing his canines delightfully.
A direct reveal of who he really was.
"Mar-mar-marquis, please..." Leech's eyes widened in terror.
It seemed as though he was familiar with what was about to happen. As though they had all seen it before.
Likewise Val's eyes as he stared in disbelief.
...That wasn't the teeth of a human.
At first, his smile was normal... Rows of straight, white teeth centered in between very thin lips too perfect to belong to someone real.
He gave the kind of smile that would make you lean closer without meaning to. (Well, everyone else... Except Val.)
But then, his smile got wider.
Too wide.
Because the corners of his mouth began to stretch just a little too far. So far that the skin on his face was pulling tight along his cheeks like an overstretched gummy bear, that eventually shifted to each part, exposing a slit, then a wide gap right from his acual lips to the side of his face before revealing the predatory side teeth.
Sharp teeth.
Teeth that didn't sharpen all at once, no.
They were normal sized until they began to lengthen...
Gradually. Each incisor was turning into a long, pointy, tooth owned by a beast. The kind of teeth that was meant for tearing out flesh, not for chewing.
There were too many teeth.
What is this...?
Val couldn't stop the trembling his body went into... It was more of reflex than terror because once again, something was wrong with his body.
But it didn't stop the fact that he had fought so many terrifying monsters of different sizes, yet, none were as horrifying as Haynes.
There was just something about him. Something that didn't sit right. A kind of feeling you get from looking at him that just makes your skin crawl.
Instantly, Val took his eyes down.
Who and what exactly is Haynes?
Just what kind of world did that entity send him into?
Haynes exposed who he was and his entire subjects fell to their knees begging but there was no denying it that all their efforts were all but futile. Haynes looked pretty out of it.
He roared into the room space, opening his mouth as wide as it got, as the echoes of his double pitched horrifying voice left a ringing loud enough to burst open one's eardrum.
Yet, the most terrifying thing about that moment wasn't even how monstrous he looked or how loud he was, no. It was how psychotic his eyes were when he was done releasing that intensified roar.
It felt like a dream.
How everything played out felt like a nightmare.
From the bent position on the floor Val divulged into, covering both ear with his palms as he tried the escape from the full blast of Haynes's roar, he could hear the psychotic chuckles from Haynes who still stood before him after he was done.
The room had gone graveyard silent. Haynes's snickering was the only sound in there.
Not a single sound from his subjects were heard.
Not their breaths, or whimpers, or their fidgeting, just silence.
Val felt like he was the only one left in that room with the Marquis.
He remained in that position with his head still bent down, and both palms covering both ears, not daring to raise his head up when the cold grip of Haynes's hands grabbed his neck from behind, causing him to whimper in panic.
"Heheheh... What should I do with you now?"
Haynes taunted. His voice wasn't even back to normal yet.
"You're coming with me!"
Ruthlessly, he jerked Val up in that crouched position, pulling him with that wicked smile on his face, eyes still psychotic.
Val was in the process of being pulled away when a quick glimpse of the fate of Haynes's subject as a result of his roar came to his view.
What was he staring at?
... Stones?
Did... Haynes turn his subjects to stones?
Was this dark magic?
This unsettled him in way he couldn't explain. So much that he lost his composure.
If a scream from Haynes could turn people to stones, what then would a hit from him do?
"Wa-wait..." Val tried to resist. "Wh-where... Where are you taking me?"
"Stop!" Val yelled in a trembling voice, causing Haynes to chuckle even louder.
"You surprise me, slave... You now talk back". His hands around Val's neck tightened stronger as his smile widened.
"Ack... Get your hands... Off me!"
Before Val could even complete the words, Haynes loosened his grip around his neck and grabbed him by his hair like swinging a rattle stick so effortlessly, shoving him backwards in a way he couldn't struggle anymore.
With his head thrown back up, the reflection from the ceiling struck his eyes, causing him to squint as the structures slowly came to view.
The ceiling...
Was it made of... glass?
What kind of place was this?
And who was that person staring back at him?
The confusion he felt overshadowed the pain from the pull on his skull.
All the structures in the room were now coming to light. It was a very large, bright room with lights and so many large glass-like fractures (mirrors). Both the left, and the right side of the room were full of mirrors.
Why though?
Was he somewhat obsessed with his look?
Why didn't he see this before?
Haynes dragged him towards a strange door made of steel at the other side (The left side) of the room, holding his hair with such rigidity.
"Why does it look like you want to die at my hands, slave, huh?"
"Ack...". Val kept struggling, holding onto Haynes's hands which dug into his hair, trying to break free, when it happened.
Haynes, in the process of trying to hold him bound, cast Val's knees to the floor, grabbing both his hands in a way that they were trapped behind his back, and his face turned towards the mirror.
So by this time, Val was already staring at the reflection at large before him.
... A moment of reveal that had his entire world coming to an absolute halt.
Everything froze, his ear was buzzing in high-pitched ringing as his eyes remained on the reflection of the young boy with silvered colored hair, fierce hazel eyes, plush bruised peach colored lips, thin jawline, bloody nostrils, bruised cheeks...
He was staring back at him!
What had his fingers trembling even more, was the fact Haynes reflection was there too!
He was also behind the stranger, grabbing him in the exact same way he did him!
Who's that?
Val tried to move again with eyes still on the mirror, and the stranger copied his exact same movement.
He was going to make another move, when Haynes held him closer, moving his mouth from behind closer and closer to Val's earlobe as he watched the weak boy's reflection with that wicked smile on his face.
"Hmm... I wonder, slave, how you do it". His warm breath seeped into Val's hearing, causing him to flinch as he stared still with terror, trembling.
Haynes snickered. "Even in this unkempt state, I still get hard watching you struggle and resist, hm?"
His eyes remained on the boy in a creepy way.
"If you weren't the key to my impression with the higher ones..." He mumbled, allowing his words to seep into Val's entire being. "I would've licked and eaten every bit of you until you understood the true meaning of breathless".
He taunted...
... But something different about the boy caught his attention.
The boy had stopped resisting in his grip, and just kept on staring at his reflection with confusion and unbelief in his eyes, rambling words, all the while shaking his head.
"Th-that's not me..." Val whispered, unable to find his voice.
Haynes scoffed, trying to make out his words as he pulled him up. "What?"
"Th-that's, th-that's..." Val stuttered in a hoarse voice, tears streaking down his eyes now. "Th-the person o-on the glass (mirror)... I-is not me". He said, still staring at his reflection as Haynes who watched him threw his head back in laughter.
"Did they hit you on the head? Is that why you have lost your mind?"
With wasting anymore time he pushed Val towards the steel door, ignoring his little cries and struggling.
"No! Wait! Where am I?" Val was yelling now as the large steel doors made a loud creaking sound, revealing a dark hallway that lit up dimly when they stepped in.
"Please! You're mistaken! You have the wrong person!" All his efforts to convince Haynes was failing as his teary eyes grazed around the place he was being pushed into.
By his left hand side were steel cage doors, likewise his right.
They were both facing each other.
These cages resembled a prison cell. So basically, he pushed into a hallway of prison cells, from the beginning of it, to the end.